The clock face read five after three, the dull clicking of its hands filling the dark room. Kaos rolled over, pulling his pillow over his head, trying to drown out the incessant noise. He had set his alarm for nine thirty, as per usual, but an alarm didn't do much good if you weren't asleep in the first place. Kaos had done everything in his power to coax himself to sleep - listening to the bedtime stories Glumshanks had recorded for him, drinking far too many glasses of warm sheep's milk, even taking a few sleeping pills he had snagged from Hugo's medicine cabinet. Nothing had worked. If anything, it had made him even more aware, leaving him to stare at the ceiling as the moments dropped past like molasses. Now, it was 3:10 in the morning and Kaos hadn't gained a lick of sleep; copper eyes bloodshot and brain lagging behind. Kaos breathed a heavy sigh, looking over to the clock. He watched the second hand tick once, twice, three times around before a new sound grabbed his attention.
A faint rap tap tapping against his window.
Kaos blinked, then rubbed his ear, double checking to make sure he wasn't hearing things. Sure enough, there it was again. The distinctful echoing clack of someone's hand against his tinted windowpane. Kaos sat up, squinting over at his window. Not wanting to leave the warmth of his he'd behind, he wrapped the blankets around himself before shuffling over to the glass, pressing his face against the chilled pane. Peering back were familiar yellow eyes, the rest of the features too blurry to make out. Kaos raised a brow, rubbed his eyes, then pushed the window open.
"Shoria. What in the fresh hell are you doing out here so-" Kaos yelped as webbed fingers wrapped around his wrist, pulling him out onto the windowsill. The blanket fell from his frame, leaving him in his pajamas and at the mercy of the crisp air outside.
"Sorry, sorry!" Shoria giggled, covering her shark-toothed grin with her free hand, the other arm wrapped around Kaos to keep him from falling. "I just couldn't help myself. I needed to show you something."
Kaos looked up at the fish that had pulled him outside, the blush creeping across his face downplayed by his deadpan expression. He couldn't deny, silhouetted against the sleeted sky, dressed in a fluffy cinnamon-colored coat and knit toque, she was absolutely stunning. Though, taking in Shoria's unparalleled (aside from his own) beauty could wait.
"What could be so important that you'd wake me up at this ungodly hour of the morning?" Kaos chuffed. Shoria didn't need to know he hadn't actually been sleeping, simply that he had been unceremoniously 'woken' by this intrusion.
"Follow me. I'll show you." Shoria smiled, brushing her seafoam green bangs out of the way before turning to climb down from the sill.
Kaos watched as she lowered herself onto an awaiting tree branch, offering her hand to Kaos so he could follow.
"Fishstick, not to be 'that guy', but perhaps we should take the stairs instead-"
"Kaos." Shoria chuckled, taking his hand and guiding him onto the branch. "The tree isn't gonna bite."
"I'm not scared of the tree!" Kaos exclaimed, shrugging Shoria off as he took the lead, climbing down onto the next closest branch. "It's just safer the other way. And I don't want you getting hurt."
"Sure, pancake." Shoria rolled her eyes, a kind smile on her face. "Whatever you say~"
Kaos grumbled to himself as he climbed, the grass crunching beneath his feet when he touched down. Immediately, a chill ran up his spine, goosebumps prickling across his skin. Shoria landed on the ground beside him, looking over to silently ask if he was alright. When the only response she got was Kaos rubbing his arms to warm up, she chuckled. Shoria took her scarf off, wrapping it around Kaos' neck. While it didn't help very much, Kaos mustered up a tired smile.
"Come on." Shoria started making her way up the hill. "It's not much farther, I promise."
"We better not be climbing any more trees." Kaos grumbled, kicking at the ground with his bare foot.
Shoria laughed in response, Kaos' blush only growing. He followed after Shoria as quickly as he could, fiddling with the end of the scarf as they walked. They made their way across a frost covered bridge, Kaos' attention grabbed by the endless sky below them, watching smaller islands float beneath them. A single snowflake drifted down from the sky above, landing on the tip of Kaos' nose. Shoria looked back, gesturing for Kaos to hurry along with a smile. He pulled away from the edge of the bridge, breathing a sigh as he watched more snowflakes drifting down from the clouds.
"You said it wasn't far."
"It's not! It's not, I promise. We're almost there."
Kaos looked ahead to the well-trimmed hedge walls of Eon's garden, the intricate silver wire doors closed and locked - as they usually were for the night. Kaos looked up at Shoria, expecting her to turn a different direction, but instead she knelt down, lifting up the small lock to inspect it.
"My my." Kaos clicked his tongue, managing a smile. "Is the goodie goodie fishstick actually about to break into Eon's sacred garden?"
"Oh shove off!" Shoria giggled. "That's honestly rich coming from you, Mr. 'reformed' villain."
Kaos gasped, placing his hand on his chest in mock offense. "I am reformed! And judging by this little rule break, I'll be an even better Skylander than you~"
Shoria laughed as she coaxed a few water droplets out of the air, forming them into a key. She slid the key into the lock, fiddled with it for a moment, then frowned.
"Huh. This should work. Maybe I didn't get the shape quite right…"
Kaos snickered to himself, then looked to the hedge wall. A thin layer of white had gathered onto the densely packed leaves, shimmering in the dim light. He glanced back to Shoria, then placed his hand against the hedge, feeling around. He grabbed onto a sturdy feeling branch, pulling himself up onto the frosted bush. He fumbled around for another good foothold, then after a few moments, managed to pull himself up onto the top of the hedge. He cleared his throat with a triumphant grin, pulling Shoria's attention from the lock.
"Come on fishstick, we don't have all day~" he teased, before sliding off of the hedge and into the garden.
"Oh, that's cheating!" Shoria laughed.
"I didn't know it was a competition," Kaos snickered, watching Shoria climb the hedge, then jump into the garden beside him, "besides, I'm pretty sure forging a fake key out of water would also be considered-"
Shoria cut him off, shoving him playfully. "Come on, short stack. It's just around this corner."
Kaos laughed to himself quietly as he followed after Shoria, trailing his fingers along the hedge wall. Eon’s garden was usually open to the public during school hours, so he didn't know why Shoria was so insistent on coming so early - though any chance to see her break the rules was a win in his book, at least.
"So. What's so important that the goodie two shoes wearing Shoria is willing to break the rules?" Kaos finally caved into his curiosity, looking up at Shoria with a smirk.
"This." Shoria came to a stop, gesturing in front of her.
Kaos looked over, then froze, his jaw dropping. In the center of the garden was the Core of Light, a spectacle even on its own, but now it was surrounded by tens upon thousands of tiny, silvery blooms, all glistening in the light it cast. None of the other flowers in the garden had bloomed yet, most having gone to sleep for the coming winter - but these were fully flowering. They covered the ground, barely making way for the path that led up to the Core, petals of silvers and blues, in all shapes and sizes, facing towards the overcast sky. It was amazing how something so small could be so beautiful. Shoria knelt down, scooping up a few of the frost covered flowers gently, their brittle stems letting them leave with the webbed hand. Kaos sat down beside her, peering at the flowers closely. Each of the petals were covered in miniscule crystals, their formation resembling that of snowflakes.
"Frost flowers." Shoria spoke softly, her voice just ever so slightly louder than the silence around them. "They only bloom before the first snowfall. Every year I sneak out here to see them. It's kinda like my holiday tradition"
"They're… They're definitely something." Shoria placed a hand on Kaos' shoulder. He looked over, her warm smile almost intoxicating. "Okay, fine. They're beautiful." He admitted, looking away.
"They taste good too." Shoria popped one into her mouth, leaning against the base of the Core. She patted the ground beside her. Kaos scooted over to her side, the warmth from the core seeping out into the air around them.
"What do they taste like?"
"Why don't you try one?"
Kaos carefully picked one of the blooms after a moment of hesitation, looking over its intricacies before popping in his mouth. It melted against his tongue, warmth flooding through him; a dulled flavor of spiced rum lingering well after the flower was gone.
“I remember reading that travelers and adventures would use them to stay warm on long winter nights; especially in instances where they couldn’t light a fire.” Shoria recounted, looking up at the sky. “The effects don’t last long, and a lot of people actually argue that they weaken you to the cold with extended use, but one or two doesn’t hurt.”
Kaos quickly felt the cold prickling at his skin once more. Without thinking, he leaned up against Shoria’s side, curling his tail around his legs. He looked out at the mass of sparkling flowers, a yawn rising up in his throat.
“You didn’t sleep, did you.” Shoria teased, her voice quiet.
Kaos huffed, then shook his head. “No… the bed was too lumpy.”
“Yesterday you said it was too soft.”
“Well, now it’s too lumpy.”
Shoria chuckled, putting an arm around Kaos. “Well, maybe you should get some rest now, short stack.”
“I’ll have plenty of time to sleep during break, fishstick. It’s only a few days away…” he yawned, closing his eyes. “Besides… I’m doing just fine without- without sleeping. I can get more work done that way.”
Kaos felt something warm draped over his shoulders, Shoria pulling him closer shortly afterwards. “Sleep, Kaos.” she placed a small kiss against his forehead, right above his insignia. “I’ll carry you back to the Academy.”
“And let those fools see me incapacitated? No way!” Kaos droned, his words running together in his sleepy stupor.
“Fine, then I guess you’ll just have to sleep here.”
Kaos sighed, drawing it out as long as he possibly could; to properly express his exacerbation. He knew there was really no use fighting it. He needed to rest, and here, he actually felt at peace. With Shoria’s arm around him, her coat draped over them like a blanket, the dull humming of the Core lulling him to sleep like a one-note lullaby. Even the chill of winter added to the calm filling his chest. He allowed a smile to cross his features, then opened one eye, looking up at Shoria. She was watching the stars once again, true bliss washed over her soft features. He closed his eyes again, content with the scene he saw. Maybe allowing himself to rest wouldn’t be such a bad thing-
“I knew I heard talking!!”
Kaos opened his eyes to see a squat figure waddling towards them, his vision bleary, though he could make out their green vest and large, argyle scarf. The closer it got, the more his mood soured. Hugo had found them. The mabu pushed his coke bottle glasses up his snout, looking about as furious as a walking puffball could get.
“How dare you invade Eon’s sacred garden!” he cried. “And drag Shoria along with you! For shame!!”
“Hugo, It wasn’t-” Shoria started, only to get cut off by Kaos standing up.
“Fine, fine. You caught me. Another failed attempt to destroy the Core by lounging on the ground near it. Forgive me, all omnipotent Hugo.” Kaos sneered, putting his hands up in mock surrender. “I give myself up for whatever punishment you deem fit for a lowlife like me.”
“Oh, you’ll get what’s coming to you alright!” Hugo grabbed Kaos by the sleeve, dragging him to the, now open, gates of the garden. Kaos didn’t put up a fight.
Kaos watched as Shoria waved goodbye, a sheepish smile on her face. He snickered, simply shooting Shoria a sleepy grin and a quick ‘text me’ in response, before turning back to listen to Hugo yammering on about ‘disobedience’ and ‘the audacity of you reformed villains’.
“So, I’m assuming I’m grounded?” Kaos taunted, then yawned, covering his mouth with his free hand.
Hugo just spluttered something incredulously, his words lost in translation. Kaos laughed, rolling his eyes. He looked up to the sky, a snowflake floating down and perching itself onto his nose. He blew it off, watching it float away. What a way to start Skymas break.